[Annoying] Have you been on Call or telephone support?

[AyJayAreDii]

I have been asked whether I want to do weekend and evening (24/7) telephone support for our print shops. Don't think I will get too much choice in the matter but I was wondering who has done this before and does it really make much of a difference. I am not gonna always have my manuals on me where ever I go. I just already know the only thing I am going to be asked is can you come here and fix it know.

Has anyone done this and how did it work out?

[blackcat4866]

In my experience it has more to do with the caller than it does with you.

If you can get accurate observations, if your user is willing to try a few things, if your customer doesn't get agitated/frustrated, if, if, if ....

From you're side, you'll need to be very re-assuring in your tone and manner. Just keep them talking about the problem, and eventually you'll think of something. The odds are, that it will require a tech anyway, but you'll be able help some out, and at least come up with a preliminary diagnosis. =^..^=

[HenryT2]

I agree with Blackcat...you can make the call easy for the customer as well as yourself, and PRAY for someone willing to work with you.

24 / 7 The down side is ... You have to be available...: Several years ago when I was 24/7, I could go in late to work to make up for the midnight calls. He preferred this as he did not have to pay any overtime. Any urgent problems were handled the first thing that next morning.

Good luck.

[Jules Winfield]

Maybe it's just me, but down time is sacred. No job is worth giving up weekends and other free time. You get burned out quickly that way...

[HenryT2]

How right you are Jules....

Thank goodness I now only do support calls 8-5 Mon-Fri now. And that gets really old sometimes as well.

On one of our 'national accounts company' printer returned for repair; I found a UPS label on a packing carton that said : ADULT SIGNATURE REQUIRED ! right by the shipping label.
I'm sure you can guess how some of these support calls turn out...

Re-visit the ' Dumbist customer comment / question ' thread.

Sometimes it can be fun though.

[jonhiker]

call can get old. would you be alternating with someone else? I would make sure that the customer knows that this is just telephone support and that any in person service would be during regular business hours(or, whatever is specified in their contract).

[zed255]

I've done a little On-Call and won't do it anymore. I value my free time too highly to give it up to nanny the phone. My first call was for a jam the customer couldn't find. I tried valiantly to avoid having to go in. Did I mention this was at about 11:30pm, mid-winter during a storm? A drive that on a clear day takes 45 minutes took about 1-1/2 hours, each way. I arrived and looked at the display, opened ONE friggin' door and removed one page that was not even actually 'stuck'. Verified that the precious year end report resumed printing, shot the operator a dirty look and left. Back in bed for 3:00am. Lesson learned, let someone else do it.

[nmfaxman]

I see it as sales BS.
Ask the salesperson if they will take the time to go out on a early Saturday to show a customer how to put the paper guides flush against the paper.
The salesperson's job is to train the customer on at least the basics.
He doesn't cold call on weekends, why should you do service calls?
If he is going to put your free time on the line, he should be willing to do the same.

Nobody is going to die because they can't make a copy, but a salesperson will lose a few bucks.


My $0.01865 and my knee still hurts. Thus my weekends or recuperation time.

[KenB]

I guess it depends on how you're comped.

I know that guys who are on call this Friday (day after Turkey Day) get $50 if they don't have to do anything, and the clock starts when they do.

As far as I'm concerned, my home life is way more valuable than that. Not being able to go too far from home or get involved with anything isn't worth a measly 50 spot to me.

[KenB]

If your dealership has agreements with print shops, hospitals, or what have you for off-hours service, you can best believe that the customer is paying a premium for the convenience - either included in the price of the contract or as a per incident fee.

You're the one providing the labor and expertise to make this all happen, so there is no reason that you shouldn't be paid at a corresponding rate.

Every once in a great while, we'll have a customer who wants to do a large install on Saturday (in fact, I have one pending right now) so to eliminate any downtime. Do we charge for this luxury? You betcha!

[Stirton.M]

I doubt I would do anything of this nature. We used to have a customer who required this kind of hand holding, but that was around the time I joined the team, so I did not get subjected to the game...mostly because I was not qualified on the machine at that time. It was done on a rotation between 3 guys...they all hated it with a passion. No extra pay was offered. Quite frankly, I would refuse outright unless significant pay was offered...double time at the least, double mileage too. My down time is also precious...it should be treated that way.

[AyJayAreDii]

If your dealership has agreements with print shops, hospitals, or what have you for off-hours service, you can best believe that the customer is paying a premium for the convenience - either included in the price of the contract or as a per incident fee.

If only this was that true. I'm not sure of the arrangement but they wont be paying that much (if any thing at all) due to the fact that this shop and our company are owned by the same people. special privileges is more accurate, and the manger in charge uses this to make us bend over backward. I do value my spear time and I am glad to offer my self for *planned* overtime. Not so willing to be rung up at 23:30 and asked silly or pointless questions. They are offering a payment per call but it is less about the money really.

[Dark Helmet]

So far we are lucky, my manager has shot down every request for 24 hour service/support. I hope it stays that way.

For me loosing my weekends in the summer is not acceptable. Up here summers are short and i try to get every thing i can out of it and that does not include baby sitting a cell phone.

If you do get forced into this you should be paid for it at least and then if you do have to do something hit the clock and be paid time and a half.
The original owner of the company would rent to government for elections for a month and they wanted weekend service which they paid for. Most of that money was then given to the tech covering and if a call did come in he was paid time and a half and half.

Sales sold a bunch of cash registers into a club/bar and was hinting that i should be availaible incase one went down and to make it easy just keep a till programmed and ready at the office to do a quick swap. My answer was "thats not happening and if they need these things so badly maybe they should PURCAHSE a backup till that is programmed and ready to go that THEY can swap out". There was a look given